IF INJURY had not robbed Gary Shaw of his footballing career then perhaps the youthful blond striker would have re-written some post-War goalscoring records.

But injury did strike, and in a big way in 1983, so Villa had to be thankful for four-and-a-bit magical seasons when he blazed a trail through the First Division and Europe.

His strike ratio of a goal every two-and-a-half games would put him right up there with the very best and his pace and alertness around the box proved to be the perfect foil for the strength and height of Peter Withe.

The only Birmingham-born player in the team, Shaw was a darling of the Holte End soon after breaking into the team with two starts and a substitute appearance in 1978/79.

He rattled in nine league goals and three in the cups the following season, including a wonderful hat-trick at Bristol City in December 1979.

The following season he was quite simply irresistible as he danced his way to the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Shaw hit 18 league goals as Villa lifted the title, including a crucial strike against Middlesbrough in the penultimate game.

He followed that up with 14 goals, nine in the league in 1981/82, including a memorable strike against Dynamo Kiev in the quarter-finals of the European Cup.

Seventeen league goals arrived in 1982/83 in a season which brought him 24 in all competitions.

But after 18 appearances and six goals in 1983/84 he was injured. Six knee operations in four years could not save his Villa career.

Fascinating fact: The only Birmingham-born player in Villa's title-winning side, Shaw's promising career was effectively ended after he sustained an injury in the 1983/84 season, though he continued to play for Villa until 1987/88, before moving to Klagenfurt, in Austria, Walsall, Kilmarnock and Shrewsbury Town.

Villa Park highlight: Scored a memorable goal against Dynamo Kiev in Villa's march to the European Cup, while on the domestic front he blazed a goal-trail with a hat-trick as a teenager at Bristol City in a 3-1 win in December 1979. He scored 18 league goals in Villa's Championship season and 17 in 1982/83 in a campaign where he also netted a superb treble against Dinamo Bucharest in the second round of the European Cup.